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The Carolina Panthers clinched their first playoff berth in eight years in spite of an underwhelming offensive output in 2025. But for the team to keep going through these playoffs, their production will have to improve—and fast.
Saturday's wild-card game will be a rematch of Week 13, where the Panthers pulled off a 31-28 win over the Los Angeles Rams. While Carolina's defense hit up quarterback and MVP candidate Matthew Stafford for three timely turnovers, it was the offense that kept them afloat in the shocking upset.
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Head coach Dave Canales called a solid game. He established the run on 35 carries between running backs Rico Dowdle and Chuba Hubbard, setting the foundation for an opportunistic passing attack.
That allowed quarterback Bryce Young to piece together his most efficient performance of the campaign. He completed 15 of his 20 throws for 206 yards—good enough to average a career-high 10.3 yards per attempt—along with three touchdowns.
That sparkling outing, however, was much closer to being an outlier than the status quo for this campaign. For the most part this season—Canales has not been consistent as an offensive play-caller, and Young has not been consistent as a playmaker.
The offense has been bumpy—whether it's their wishy-washy commitment to an approach, questionable situational play-calling or simply the lack of a real punch. Carolina finished the year 27th in the NFL in total yards per game (295.6), 27th in points per game (18.3), 25th in third-down conversion rate (36.1 percent) and 24th in red-zone efficiency (53.3 percent).
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So, what happens if Stafford doesn't turn the ball over like he did in the first meeting? What if the Rams, who boast the league's No. 1 offense, function more smoothly this time?
Well, that'll mean that both Canales and Young will have to step up. If they don't shake off their inconsistencies, then the duo will likely be looking at a quick exit in their first postseason appearance together for the Panthers.
Like it or not, the playoffs build reputations—most heavily for head coaches and quarterbacks. How Canales and Young show up on Saturday, particularly if they disappoint, will set the offseason discourse until Week 1 of the 2026 campaign.
For Canales, he must prove that he's exactly what owner David Tepper hired him to be—an effective leader and offensive play-caller. For Young, he must prove that he's exactly what the organization drafted him to be—a dynamic playmaker who can pick apart a defense with his accuracy, escapability and processing skills.
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This isn’t a true make-or-break game for Canales and Young—as this could be just the start of the sustained success in Carolina. But this will be an important game to observe, and could give us a hint of what's to come next season and beyond.
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This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: Saturday's playoff game may be more important than you think for Dave Canales, Bryce Young
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